A 69-year-old resident of Noida, Uttar Pradesh, has allegedly lost ₹7.80 lakh in a cyber fraud after responding to a purported Punjab National Bank (PNB) credit card advertisement on Facebook. According to the complaint, fraudsters posing as bank representatives contacted the victim via WhatsApp, convinced him to complete a credit card application, and obtained sensitive banking information. The stolen credentials were then used to transfer funds from his bank accounts through internet banking. The Cyber Crime Police Station has registered a case and initiated an investigation.
According to the police, Rajesh Sareen, a resident of Prateek Fedora Society in Sector 61, stated in his complaint that he came across a Facebook advertisement promoting a Punjab National Bank credit card on May 18, 2025. Shortly after viewing the advertisement, he received a WhatsApp call from a person claiming to be associated with the bank, who offered to complete the credit card application process.
The complainant alleged that the caller sent him an online application form and asked him to fill in the required details. During the process, the fraudsters allegedly obtained sensitive information related to his bank accounts and internet banking credentials. They subsequently used internet banking to transfer a total of ₹7.80 lakh from his three Punjab National Bank savings accounts through four separate transactions.
According to the complaint, ₹3 lakh was transferred from one account, ₹2.27 lakh from another, ₹53,000 from a third account, and an additional ₹2 lakh was transferred in a fourth transaction. After discovering the unauthorized withdrawals, the victim immediately lodged a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal and later filed an FIR at the Cyber Crime Police Station, seeking recovery of the stolen amount and legal action against those responsible.
Police have registered a case under the relevant legal provisions and have begun investigating the incident. Investigators are examining the beneficiary bank accounts, mobile numbers, digital payment trails, and other electronic evidence to identify and trace the accused.
According to the Future Crime Research Foundation, cybercriminals frequently use fake advertisements on social media by impersonating banks, government agencies, and well-known brands to deceive users. Individuals should apply for credit cards, loans, and other banking services only through a bank’s official website, mobile application, or authorised branch. Experts also advise never sharing internet banking credentials, one-time passwords (OTPs), CVV numbers, or any other confidential financial information through online forms, unsolicited links, or phone calls, as doing so significantly increases the risk of unauthorised access to bank accounts and financial fraud.
